The Lefortovo Court in Moscow extended a detention period for Ms.Leniye Umerova by 4 months – till 4 October 2023. Earlier the court arrested her for 2 months on the charge of ‘espionage’ (RF CC Article 276). This was reported by the Crimean Human Rights Group. According to the CHRG information, Ms.Umerova is receiving a lot of supporting letters from different people, and she is expressing her gratitude to all of them. Ms.Umerova is still kept in the single person cell in the LEFORTOVO FSB Pre-Trial Detention Centre.
- As informed by the CHRG, Russia has been holding Ms.Leniye Umerova, a Crimean Tatar and a citizen of Ukraine, hostage for over 4 months. On 4 December, 2022, Leniye Umerova, aged 25, had to leave Kyiv for the occupied Crimea because the health condition of her father suffering from cancer, had worsened.
- Russian security agency men detained Ms.Umerova after crossing the national frontier between Georgia and the Russian Federation, allegedly for violating the rules of staying in the regime zone. Until March 16, she had been held in the Center for Temporary Detention of Foreign Citizens near Vladikavkaz. The Prigorodnyi District Court found the girl guilty of “violating the state border regime” (Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, Article 18.1) and fined her RUR2,000.
- On the night of March 16, she was released from the Center for Foreign Citizens Detention. But, as the girl told, a car with 4 men inside was waiting for her at the gate. They rushed her, put a bag on her head, brought her to an unknown area of Vladikavkaz, and left her there. Almost the next while she was detained by the police patrol. When she asked about the reasons of detention, an administrative report was drawn on her for ‘disobedience to the policemen’s requirements.’ The Leninskiy District Court imposed an administrative punishment on her – 15 days of arrest.
- While Ms.Umerova was in the detention center, a similar report was drawn on her: the girl was reported to have refused handing her mobile to the policemen. On March 27, the same court again imposed a 15 days’ arrest on her. Leniye Umerova was moved to the detention center in the city of Beslan.
- On April 9 a new report for disobedience to the police was drawn up on the girl. And on April 11, the Sovietskiy Court of Vladikavkaz again sentenced her to 15 days of arrest.
- On April 26, the Sovietskiy Court of Vladikavkaz again found the Crimean Tatar girl Leniye Umerova guilty of disobedience to the police and imposed next 15 days of administrate arrest.
- On May 4, Ms.Umerova was moved to Moscow, to the LEFORTOVO Pre-Trial Detention Center. She is charged with espionage.
- On May 5, the Lefortovo Court in Moscwo arrested Leniye Umerova for 2 months on suspicion of ‘espionage’ (RF CC Article 276).
